Paris Dennard: Donald Trump ‘Expanded, Diversified GOP for the Better’

Paris Dennard told The Kyle Olson Show this week that President Donald Trump’s gains among black voters showed he “expanded and diversified the GOP for the better.”

“This president has changed the face of the GOP and the electoral map. We were competing in places and communities and getting votes from people and electing candidates that were extremely diverse,” Dennard said.

He highlighted some successful candidates, including:

• Byron Donalds, U.S. Congress FL-19
• Burgess Owens, U.S. Congress UT-04
• Marc Robinson, NC Lieutenant Governor
• Judge Fred Gore, NC Court of Appeals
• Julian Bradley, WI State Senate
• State Rep. Jane E. Powdrell-Culbert, NM House District 44
• State Rep. Caleb Hanna, WV House District 44
• Patrick Penn, KS House District 85
• Webster Barnaby, FL House District 27
• Eddie Andrews, IA House District 39

While there are historical strongholds that went overwhelmingly for former Vice President Joe Biden, such as Detroit or Flint in Michigan, or Philadelphia or Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, Dennard said the party has to play the long game and change minds over decades.

He said they need to “be consistent” and contest every seat.

Dennard argued Trump made gains over 2016 because of consistency. Trump won 12 percent of the black vote in 2020, versus just 8 percent four years ago. He received 19 percent of the vote among black men, compared to 13 percent in 2016. He more than doubled his support from black women, from 4 percent to 9 percent.

“It was showing up, being engaged on a national level and a local level because it was a priority,” he told The Kyle Olson Show.

Dennard said the “biggest challenge” will be continuing the engagement.

When asked how Republicans overcome the constant accusations of “racism” by the Democrats, he said, “We have to be unafraid to fight back,” a lesson Trump taught the party.

“That’s why I started calling Joe Biden a bigot — because he is one,” Dennard said.

“We have to be willing to fight the fight,” he said.

Kyle Olson is a reporter for Breitbart News. He is also host of “The Kyle Olson Show,” syndicated on Michigan radio stations on Saturdays — download full podcast episodes. Follow him on Parler.